Everyone loved the vampires in Bethesda's Oblivion, so obviously when the developer moved into more "realistic" territory with Fallout 3, more than a couple of fans were a bit bummed that their favourite supernatural creatures wouldn't be making a crossover appearance. And while they don't actually show up in F3, one quest specifically paid homage to the toothy monsters of Oblivion's fantasy world. The mission "Blood Ties" has you attempting to solve a series of grisly murders and kidnappings that are taking place across various settlements in the DC Wasteland. Pretty quickly you link the murders to a group that refers to themselves as "The Family"; an underground-dwelling cult convinced that they're afflicted with vampirism. It sounds a bit silly on paper, but when you're investigating the brutal killings by the pack and talking to the leaders of the cult, getting to understand their twisted world-view, it's clear that there's a much more psychological and sinister undercurrent to the whole ordeal. Cannibalism is a pretty standard part of post-apocalyptic fiction, yet with this quest Fallout 3 managed to make it feel fresh again.
